The past four days, for me, has been such an amazing experience. Im still trying to digest it all and think it will take some time to really comprehend everything that took place. Friday I had the utter pleasure of being able to sit back and relax while I took in the sights and sounds of the amazing Mr. Hossam Ramzy and the lovely Mrs. Serena Ramzy along with the astounding MENAME orchestra and singers, Mr. Emile Basili on violin, Mr. El Gamal El Kordi on keys, and the Bedouin Beats dancers. I left the concert feeling beyond entertained. The nights compilations were so well put together and presented, its hard to put into words. While I was unable to make the Saturday workshop as I was teaching, I was grateful to make it to the Sunday workshop. The format was something I didnt expect. We had the pleasure of hearing some of Hossams thoughts on the connection of the dancer and the music which was followed by the teachings of an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G drum choreo by Serena. How they managed to pack so much in such a short period of time is beyond me. I feel Ive walked away from that workshop with so much valuable knowledge. Im still taking it all in. Id also like to add that, while I have taken many workshops by many well-known names, it is such a rarity to find leaders in field who are so willing to answer questions whether on the spot or welcome them later on. What a welcome approach. But then Sunday night came. And with it, Mr. Ramzys Birthday Hafla. How do I even attempt to put into words the magnitude of this event? Along side so much other local and not-so-local talent doing their amazing presentations, my fellow Les Trois Femmes ladies and I had the HONOUR of debuting a drum choreo we compiled just for the special guest to his song Eshta. Nervous? You could say that. ! We hope we did the song justice and translated it appropriately. Its such a beautiful drum piece! Im not sure my feet have touched the ground since. It was only natural that late Monday afternoon should bring the culmination of the experience to a drum workshop with the legend himself. In the span of three hours he gave us insight into the language between the dancer and the drummer, the expectations of the dancer, and the responsibilities of the drummer. He gave us exercises which will be essential to becoming a better drummer. Such priceless stuff that can (and should) be used every day. Just another piece of the experience that has been these past few days. Which brings me to an important note. I know there are some people who may have been surprised by my reaction to having Mr. Ramzy here for these four days, as Im mainly a Fusion dancer and have been reluctant to dance to more traditional music in quite some time. So Ill explain. Almost ten years ago, while living in Charlotte, North Carolina, I knew a few friends who were taking traditional belly dance classes in the city. They said I should give it a try but, like most things I get involved with, I needed to research first. Now, I wasnt at all familiar with the music but as a musician I decided to see if I could find something I could relate to. Thats when I came across Hossam Ramzys drum compilations. As a percussionist, I was immediately drawn in to the intricate sounds of his chosen instruments. The different tones created by one instrument alone. Basically, I was hooked. From there I studied the dance a bit with these friends off and on until I moved to Edmonton where I decided to be more involved and take continual classes at local studios. I have listened to his music the whole journey. Ive come to completely appreciate this community and everyone in it and all its dynamics and styles within. And while I may not be Arabic in any way, shape, or form, I am so utterly blessed to be able to call this community my home. I feel I have Hossam to thank for that, so many years ago, giving me something to connect to when I decided to give belly dance a try. So, for that, Mr. Ramzy, I am eternally grateful. On a last but certainly not least note, I want to thank Denise Leclair. You are such a gem to this community. I honestly cant relay the importance of your presence and how much youve changed lives just by being you. You are selfless and giving and know no bounds in your efforts. I really do hope you took time this past week to really allow everything in because you have accomplished so much. Wow. What a week. Never to be forgotten.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:17:26 +0000
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